The lack of support services available to women and children both in detention and on return to their homes, together with the lack of procedures to identity and protect them as victims of trafficking, can result in both dire financial consequences for their families and the potential for girls to be sent again on these dangerous journeys. One respondent gave the following example: “A few months ago, there was a 22-year-old woman from Buthidaung- her family sent her to Malaysia, and she was arrested during her travels within the township. They had to pay 10 Lakh Myanmar Kyat (563 US dollars) to the police and the police released her. She was crying and asking the community to host her in Buthidaung temporarily as she did not want to go to Malaysia. The community leaders in Buthidaung town advised her father not to send her to Malaysia and look for a marriage in Rakhine. The father agreed. Two months later the family sent her to Malaysia again. We heard that her father decided to send her as they had already received money from the husband for her travel and had made promises to him. She was arrested again in Yangon last month.” 4.2. Death and Health issues Rohingya who attempt to travel Malaysia do not always receive accurate information about the conditions, safety and security and the duration of the journey. Men, women and children are at high risk of food and water shortages, exhaustion and health issues en route. Additionally, there are reports of violence by some agents en route. Interviewees for this study reported incidents of untreated illness en route that prevented them from completing the journey – most commonly malaria and diarrhoea. There were other reports of both men and women being beaten or sustaining serious injuries during the journey. A few months ago, 30 Rohingya women from Sittwe and 20 from different parts of Rakhine attempted to travel to Malaysia. First, the brokers told them it would take only three days to reach Malaysia. We didn't hear any updates for two months. They went from Thandwe to Yangon and some of them died during their journey due to lack of food and water. One of my cousins who was 23 years old was also with them - he died during the journey. The brokers only informed us one month later. They said he died due to diarrhoea. Some Rohingya women told us afterwards that the brokers did not provide food during the 10 days that they passed the mountains of Rakhine and some died due to starvation. The brokers left some women in the forest as some women couldn't walk anymore. Families of travellers in Rakhine State also reported that the broker networks failed to communicate effectively with them, sometimes not receiving information for 14 several months at a time. One resident from Buthidaung township shared her experience that they did not receive any information from smugglers for two to three months about their family members, including in cases of death: In November, one of my neighbours, who was 35 years old, died during the journey, in the forest. We got the information about her death two months later when we followed up with brokers. The brokers refused to talk with us, and they did not inform us of anything. We had to try many times. Later the brokers told us that she died because of a fall in the mountains. But when we managed to ask survivors who were on the journey with her, they told us she had been raped and beaten by the Rakhine brokers. They said she got brain injuries and died in the forest near Thandwe township. Her 11 years old daughter was found by the locals in the forest in Thandwe. Later the police sent her back to Buthidaung but we could not ask her anything as she started crying when we asked about her mother. 4.3. Rape and Sexual Violence on the Journey Although it is not possible to ascertain what percentage of women and girls experience rape and sexual violence en route, amongst the community the perceived risk is extremely high with respondents stating that they believed “most” or “almost all” women and girls were raped. There are reports of serious injuries sustained as a result of sexual assaults. In some cases, if women and girls are unable to continue their journey as a result of their injuries, they are left behind in the forest or elsewhere. For example: Many women shared their experiences that the brokers raped them and if they resisted the brokers beat them. Some women died because they had been beaten badly and they could not walk in the forest and the brokers left them. In Sittwe some parents and women know about those experiences, and they take contraceptive injections before they go to Malaysia. There are reports of women and girls being raped by brokers or, following arrest, by soldiers or police. For example, Three months ago, ten women and girls from our village were released from Sittwe prison. They were sentenced to two months for travelling without permission. When they were released some of them were pregnant. Some said they were raped during the journey by the brokers and police. When they were arrested, the police did not send them directly to jail. Instead, they were held in the forest for three to four days and were repeatedly raped by police. Many women and girls do not disclose their experiences due to stigma, a lack of support services and a lack of justice mechanisms in Rakhine. Unmarried women